The double-edged sword of oversight

Is increased oversight a burden, or an opportunity to stand apart from the crowd?

We've been reporting for some time now that government contractors and subcontractors are coming under increased scrutiny. Previously, small business subcontractors were somewhat immune from harm, but this immunity is rapidly being whittled away. The Washington Post has noticed this phenomenon:

"The days of 'No one is checking,' are over. For too long, there was inadequate oversight." --Daniel Gordon, an administrator at the White House Office of Federal Procurement Policy

Washington Technology is reporting the same thing this week.

This increased focus on procurement regulations might have some contractors and subcontractors quaking in their boots. Oversight tends to send business owners into a panic, because it often means increased costs in a world of razor thin profit margins. No one wants to risk being debarred or suspended, or have payments withheld, especially when federal contracting can provide a crucial stream of profitable business in many industries.

But the costs need not be prohibitive, and this negative can be turned into a strong positive for contractors and subcontractors. Increased oversight is bad news for those who don't follow government regulations, but good news to those who know and observe the rules!

There are great benefits to proving competence with federal procurement regulations. A contractor who can say they have a procurement regulations management system in place is going to be much more attractive to contracting officers than those who don't. Competence is a crucial factor among contracting officers when evaluating the competition--you can place yourself above your competitors by showing that this new focus on oversight doesn't burden or scare you because you have already taken steps to ensure compliance.

FARSmarterBids.com offers the most extensive library of federal procurement regulations in one place. Not only that, but regulations can be managed: contractors and subcontractors can store key regulations in their own virtual filing cabinets for easy, repeated access, meaning they can save valuable time and energy, preserving their profit margins. Many contractors use what they learn from the service to supplement the knowledge they receive from attorneys and consultants, thus shaving hundreds to thousands off these professionals' fees. All of this is offered for a low monthly or quarterly fee--as low as $55 per month.

Of course, just knowing the federal procurement playbook in general confers benefits of its own. This knowledge helps you compete because you have a better grasp of the regulatory costs and can use that knowledge to decide on what contracts to bid.

Subcontractors, too, can use this knowledge to better compete for work. Any smart businessperson will tell you how crucial it is to know your customer--and that includes being familiar with their regulatory landscape. Subcontractors who understand what the primes are up against--including payment withholding and evaluating supply chain risk--are attractive competitors. Often, subcontractors must comply with regulations when completing work for a prime contractor--those who work within the scope of those regulations are going to find themselves better positioned for repeat work.

Also, subcontractors can better insulate themselves from lawsuits and disputes if prime contractors face penalties levied by federal contract managers or agency heads if they know their regulations. This means potentially averting costly, even business-killing litigation in the unfortunate event a prime contractor tries shifting the blame to a subcontractor in such a situation. The knowledge contained within FARSmarterBids provides a cost-effective "keep off the grass" sign to prime contractors who might try an underhanded technique to keep the heat off themselves.

We find that, far from being a costly burden, compliance with federal procurement regulations can be turned into a net positive. At very little cost, prime contractors and subcontractors can market themselves as the most capable, competent, efficient organizations with which to do business. Instead of groaning at the thought of increased oversight, companies can relish the thought of beating out the competition by playing the government's game.